Procurement is the process of acquiring goods, services or works. The process spans the whole life cycle of whatever is being purchased:
- from identification of needs and formation of a sourcing strategy;
- to options and supplier appraisals; and
- through to the end of the contract or the useful life of an asset.
The Scottish Procurement and Commercial Directorate (SPCD) within the Scottish Government is responsible for developing and advising on a range of procurement activity, including implementing policy and setting up contracts and framework agreements for itself and the wider public sector in Scotland.
SPCD has recently reorganised itself to bring together the existing responsibilities of Policy and Development, CGCoPE, Procurement Scotland and eProcurement Scotland. This change provides better alignment between its various responsibilities and brings its procurement functions closer together, including the legal framework, policies, procedures and processes, tools, strategies and systems which drive reform and continuous improvement for procurement in Scotland.
Illustration of procurement landscape
The figure below shows the inter-relationship between the different public procurement organisations and their respective responsibilities.
The sectoral centres of procurement expertise are represented by:
| Scotland Excel : responsible for Category B commodities in Local Authorities. It aims to raise procurement standards across local authorities and related organisations through a collaborative approach. |
| NHS National Procurement : responsible for Category B commodities and their distribution in Health. It aims to deliver best value supply chain services which support improvements in the health and well-being of all the people in Scotland. |
| APUC (Advanced Procurement for Universities and Colleges) : responsible for Category B commodities within Scotland's colleges and universities. It aims to maximise the contribution that advanced procurement makes to Scotland's investment in teaching and research. |
| Scottish Fire and Rescue Services: are working to increase collaboration across common goods and services through a dedicated fire service specific Centre of Expertise. For more information email enquiries@efirescotland.org. |
| Scottish Police Service : are working to increase collaboration across common goods and services through a dedicated police service specific Centre of Expertise. For more information email Ian.Kelly@strathclyde.pnn.police.uk. |